You Need To Try This Japanese Skincare Everyone’s Been Talking About

I was introduced to Japanese skincare brand Kaizen recently, and I have to say, it was love at first sight.

From the minimalist aesthetically-pleasing opalescent pastel blue and white packaging, hygienic pump dispensers and travel-friendly safety caps to the lightweight textures and all-natural skin-soothing ingredients, I was completely taken with it. I’m extremely particular when it comes to my skincare, and it’s always a pleasure to find skincare with minimal ingredients yet maximum efficacy.

About Kaizen

Kaizen, which means “change for better” in Japanese, is a skincare brand that uses fermented natural ingredients from Japan. Fermented ingredients penetrate more effectively into the skin, allowing the skin to better absorb its soothing and healing benefits. The 3 key ingredients used are:

RG92 Fermented Micro-Algae: Identified through DNA analysis by Japanese biotech scientists, RG92 comes from micro-algae found in Japan’s onsens (hot springs). RG92 is chock full of anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, collagen-boosting properties, and is fermented for optimal skin absorption. As fermentation helps to preserve the product, no artificial preservatives are required.

Hydrolysed Yeast: Improves the energy of your dermal cells and stimulates skin regeneration for a healthy and radiant glow.

Having used the Kaizen range for an entire week, I have seen a significantly noticeable difference in the texture and complexion of my skin. It feels much softer and smoother now, and looks a lot clearer. This is a winning factor for me since my skin has been dehydrated and bumpy of late (no thanks to stress, late nights, air pollution and hormones!). Here’s a full account of my current skincare routine and my review of the products:

Step 1: Reveal (Cleanse)

This Revealing Gel Facial Cleanser is extremely lightweight and doesn’t feel greasy or sticky on the skin. I apply 3 pumps of it onto dry skin, and add a few drops of water to give it a little slip. I massage it onto my face and neck area gently in circular and upward sweeping motions for about 2 to 5 minutes (depending on how much time I have). Once that’s done, I’ll rinse everything off with warm water and follow up with a splash of cold water.

To exfoliate, you can add a pinch of fine brown sugar to the cleanser to turn it into a facial exfoliant. Just make sure that you massage it very gently onto the skin and avoid any harsh rubbing or scrubbing. When exfoliating, I mainly focus on the areas where my pores tend to get congested, like the T-zone and inner corners of my cheeks.

After cleansing, my skin doesn’t feel dry or tight at all, but feels really soft and bouncy. As I have eczema, I was surprised that such a lightweight cleanser could feel so moisturising. My hormonal acne (which usually takes 2 weeks to clear up) also seemed to have calmed down after the second day of use. The bumps looked and felt flatter and the redness had completely subsided. Colour me impressed!

Step 2: Rebalance (Tone)

After cleansing, I spritz on 4 pumps of the Rebalancing Water Balancing Essence onto my face using “+” and “x” motions. Unlike some other facial mists which feel just like plain water, this one is really cooling and refreshing on the skin. My skin actually feels revived and soothed after I spritz it on. I recommend storing it in the fridge as the cold essence feels amazing, especially in our hot Malaysian weather. You can even spritz it on throughout the day to refresh your makeup and keep your skin hydrated. If you have time, you can try out the “7-skin method“, where you apply your toner 7 times for ultimate hydration.

Step 3: Renew (Moisturise)

To manage my eczema, I tend to steer towards oil and emollient cream-based moisturisers. So it was a welcome change to try something lightweight for once. The gel-based Renewal Jelly Facial Moisturiser glides on seamlessly onto the skin and doesn’t feel tacky in the slightest. It also absorbs really quickly into the skin and I like to apply it using light patting and rolling motions. As my eczema tends to flare up around my nose and cheeks, I’m happy to report that this moisturiser has kept it at bay for the past week – hurrah!

Step 4: Reflect (Protect)

There isn’t a day that goes by where I skip sunscreen. It is one of my absolute must-haves in my skincare arsenal. I like that this Reflecting Lotion SPF31+ is mineral-based, artificial fragrance-free and has a light milky liquid consistency to it. It contains rose-hip oil and vitamin E to minimise free radical damage, RG92 to prevent inflammations, and hydrolysed collagen and sodium hyaluronate to keep your skin plump with moisture. It’s a great everyday sunscreen that has a slight tint to it that acts as a great base for your makeup. Major plus points for me are that it’s non-greasy, easily absorbed, and doesn’t leave a white cast in flash photography.

Kaizen is suitable for all skin types and I especially recommend it for sensitive, dehydrated and acne-prone skin. As always, I hope you found this review helpful, and here’s a little something for my dear readers as a token of appreciation:

The first 20 readers who use the code kzxclara will receive a 20% discount off all purchases at www.kaizencare.com!